Webb said the "ownership group" as of now is a single owner, although the person is looking for more interested parties.

IFL expansion director Chris Kokalis had visited Bemidji in July to gauge interest at a news conference at the Sanford Center. He said for a team to be ready to play the 2014 season, the league would ideally want an ownership group in place by late August or September.

Webb said he hopes everything will be in place in the next few days.

The IFL, currently in its sixth year, has nine teams. Each team plays a 14-game schedule -- seven home games and seven road games. The season begins in February and ends in June.

Bemidji would be the smallest market in a league that includes cities as large as Chicago and as small as Grand Island, Neb. League officials have also expressed interest in other cities around the region, including Fargo and Bismarck.